Greenwich dike problem has no easy solution

GREENWICH TWP. - The residents on Delaware Avenue in
Greenwich are frustrated with living at the mercy of the
Cohansey River due to persistent flooding problems.

Despite allegations to the contrary, Greenwich Mayor Ted
Kiefer and township leaders are working to alleviate their
suffering.

"We do care about the people on Delaware Avenue,"
Kiefer said.

"I've been working on this for a number of years,
and it's just a very difficult, complex situation, and
there's no easy fix."

Kiefer provided background on the Pine Mount Dike problem,
beginning with its private ownership and maintenance by a
meadow bank company, not the township or county, when it was
washed out approximately 20 years ago.

In the time since, responsibility was transferred from the
meadow bank company, but a wildlife enhancement project was
being developed as a way to address Pine Mount Dike from
2003 until 2006.

In that year, a geological survey by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers determined rebuilding the Pine Mount Dike would be
extremely difficult and very expensive, with estimates up to
$15 million.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service abandoned the project,
and to now pursue the rebuild as a flood-control project
would require a separate permit.

Kiefer said he's been told the Pine Mount Dike project
would not be issued such a permit through the process
involving the Corps of Engineers, the N.J. DEP, National
Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.

"National Marine Fisheries and Fish and Wildlife
Service stated they would oppose fixing the dike for
flood-control methods because it's been gone for 20
years, so in their opinion, it's not a dike. It's
not there," Kiefer explained, adding he believes the
clause that would allow a failed dike to be repaired is
limited to three years.

"I'm not saying it's not possible, but it
would be very difficult, a highly unlikely scenario."

However, Committeeman Richard DeMarco has volunteered to
take the lead on a Greenwich Dike Committee, focused
specifically on Pine Mount Dike.

Though a full committee is yet to be established, DeMarco
will begin exploring Greenwich's options for the Pine
Mount Dike with Delaware Avenue resident Eric Port, who
brought a petition of 100 signatures regarding the dike
breech to the township committee's February meeting.

He reported at its April meeting that he had been
communicating with an engineer in Louisiana on potential
dike redesigns at an estimated cost of $3 million.

In the meanwhile, Kiefer said the county engineer, Dan Orr,
has been out to Delaware Avenue recently to offer his
opinion regarding potential solutions to the flooding
problems.

"I think if we could get sheet pile along the road and
maybe a curved berm around the back of (a private) property
- if that were to be done and the property owners would
agree to allow that to be done on their property - that
would probably be a quick, easy, inexpensive way to solve
the flooding problem. It would be a permanent stopping of
the flooding on Delaware Ave.," said Kiefer.

When asked, Kiefer clarified that action must be taken with
full consideration of the privately owned properties
affected by the flooding with expectation of their continued
occupation.

Resident buyouts are not an option because FEMA bases this
assistance on flood insurance claims.

"From the people I've spoken to, residents on
Delaware Ave., even though there's obviously flooding
and inconvenience, water has never gone into anyone's
first floor. It's in their basements, over the road, an
inconvenience of having a road in water and yard flooding,
but ... water's not actually going into the living area
of their homes, so that being said, the FEMA money to buyout
would not be applicable."

Kiefer emphasized his intention of preventing further damage
with the projects that are viable.

For one, the failed water control device on Watson's
Dike must also be addressed before the township's
flooding problems get worse.

"We should try to fix the tide gates of our dike that
is still in good condition before something happens to that
one," Kiefer said.

"Just recently, Sen. Jeff Van Drew has reached out to
me and offered his assistance in any way he can. We're
at the stage where I need the township and county to come up
with a game plan for the (Delaware Avenue and Watson's
Dike) projects, and if we run into any obstacles, he would
help us that way."

Kiefer acknowledged his plan to potentially provide a fix
for the Delaware Avenue flooding within a year has already
been met with opposition from one landowner adamant about
the Pine Mount Dike being rebuilt.

But, he's also received support from other residents.

Since no proposed projects can be implemented without
dollars to back them, Kiefer's pursuing a $600,000 DEP
flood control grant and hopes to move a project to resolve
the Delaware Avenue flooding and one to fix the
Watson's Dike tide gates forward as quickly as funding
can be secured.

"I understand (residents) frustration and their
unhappiness, but right now, we're trying to correct the
problem in the best possible way with realistic
expectations."